The Rose, a non-profit organization dedicated to the reduction of breast-cancer-related deaths, will be offering on-site screening mammograms at three different locations starting March 18 to women who meet certain criteria.
For complete details, please see this related article.
Marketplace Café to observe National Nutrition Month March 18–22
HISD Food Services will be celebrating National Nutrition Month during the week of March 18–22 with a number of special attractions in the Marketplace Café (cafeteria) of the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th St., 77092).
Certified dieticians will be on hand at lunch to provide nutritional information and answer visitors’ questions, and patrons who purchase one of the “Dietician’s Picks” items off the menu on those days will be entered into a random drawing for prizes.
First drug-free workplace training session March 21
HISD will be conducting three “drug-free workplace” training sessions this spring for central office administrators, principals, principal designees, and managers. This training teaches personnel how to recognize impaired employees in the work place and how to call for a reasonable suspicion drug/alcohol test.
For dates and details, please see this related article.
Open Transfer Period for teachers starts March 25
The Open Transfer Period for teachers will take place from March 25–April 19, 2013.
During this period, teachers are free to transfer between HISD campuses to fill open positions for the 2012–2013 school year. A teacher’s current principal must sign off on the transfer as an acknowledgement that the employee is leaving the campus.
For complete details, please see this related memo.
University of St. Thomas offering new master’s degree in Special Education leadership
Do you want to earn a master’s degree in special education leadership and pursue principal certification?
If so, then you should consider a new degree program being offered by the University of St. Thomas in collaboration with HISD. Classes will start in the fall of 2013, and prime candidates include special education teachers, general education and ancillary teachers, diagnosticians, and speech therapists. Individuals who are already in leadership positions, such as department chairs, and program specialists are also encouraged to apply.
For details, please see this related flyer (.pdf).
Nominate exceptional teachers for national award by April 1
Winners of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching will receive a citation signed by the President of the United States, a trip for two to Washington, D.C., and a $10,000 prize.
Only ES math and science teachers (K–Grade 6) are eligible this year. For complete details, please visit http://www.paemst.org.
Parents for Public Schools Seeking Guiding Star Nominations by April 12
Do you know someone whose work on behalf of public schools has largely gone unrecognized?
If so, then consider nominating him or her for a 2013 “Guiding Star” award!
For the third consecutive year, Parents for Public Schools-Houston will be honoring parents, community/business partners, volunteers, and school/district staff who go above and beyond the call of duty in their service to Houston’s schoolchildren. For details, please click here.
Deadline for HMNS Excellence in Science award nominations: April 26
Do you know a high-school junior or teacher who demonstrates outstanding performance in the area of science or math?
If so, consider nominating him or her for one of the Houston Museum of Natural Science’s Excellence in Science awards. Winners will receive a $2,000 cash prize.
The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, April 26. For complete details, please visit the HMNS website.
The staff of HISD's Library Services department (from L-R) are: Manager Liz Philippi and Specialists Suzanne Lyons, Janice Newsum, and Amy Sutton.
This week’s Shout-Out goes to Library Services from Dr. Patricia Weger, manager of HISD’s Psychological Services department. Dr. Weger was invited to act as a judge in the annual Name That Book! contest, and she had nothing but positive things to say about the experience.
“I enjoyed seeing the elementary students take this activity so seriously,” she wrote in an email to Library Services Manager Liz Philippi, “and I was impressed at how successful they were in using their listening skills.”
“There is much to be learned by participating in a team activity and by experiencing friendly competition,” she added. “Historically, schools have fostered this type of learning through sports competitions. But it is nice that academically inclined students have the opportunity to participate in learning as a team sport and reap those same benefits.”
Other Shout-Outs this week go to:
- Waltrip High School teacher Angela Lanier: Angela is new to Waltrip, but she took it upon herself to create several ELA Exit TAKS Workshops for her students after school and on Saturdays. She provided an out-of-the box learning environment for kids who needed an added push to pass, walked them through the essay, and gave them additional writing experiences in fun, creative, and thought-provoking lessons. —Principal Cynthia Villalovos
- CFS Team Leader (Area 3) Jerry Agnew: We would like to thank the CFS plumbing team for fixing the air quality problem that we had at our school. As always, they did a great job!—Bush ES secretary Helen Wood
| Know someone who deserves a shout-out? Send an email to info@houstonisd.org with the subject line “Shout Out for eNews!” and tell us why. |
The office from which HISD employees can obtain an ID badge at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center has moved.
It is now situated in room/cubicle 1W22A of Employee Services, directly across the hall from its previous location, and is closed for lunch between the hours of noon and 1 p.m.
The new contact for ID badges is Onboarding & Organizational Development secretary Esther Martinez.
Related forms can be found here.
Both HISD Health and Wellness Centers will be open during normal business hours over Spring Break, which is March 11–15, 2013.
- HMWESC location hours—M & F: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tues-Thurs: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Attucks MS location hours— M & F: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tues & W: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thurs: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Both clinics are closed from 1 to 2 p.m. daily for lunch.
All HISD campuses and offices will be closed for Spring Break from Monday, March 11, through Friday, March 15, 2013.
Schools and offices will reopen for normal business on Monday, March 18, 2013.
HISD employees should consult the duty schedules posted here.
The HISD Police Department will be patrolling district facilities all during the holiday break. Emergencies may be reported by calling 713-892-7777.
Here are some other dates you may want to mark on your calendar:
Feb. 25–March 17: Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo
March 1–31: National Social Work Month
March 8: Lunch ‘N Learn session (retirement savings accounts)
March 10: Daylight saving time begins
March 11–15: Spring Break
March 15: FAFSA deadline
March 15 & 24: Rockets’ HISD Appreciation Nights
March 21: Reasonable suspicion training
March 22–24: Bayou City Art Festival
March 25–April 19: Open Transfer Period for Teachers
March 29: Spring Holiday
April 5: Lunch ‘N Learn session (retirement savings accounts)
April 11: Board meeting
April 14–20: Week of the Young Child
April 16 & 30: Reasonable suspicion trainings
May 6–10: Teacher Appreciation Week
May 27: Memorial Day
June 6: Last day of school (students)
Romaria Rodriguez has been selected as the recipient of the 2013 Distinguished Educator of the Year Award from Sam Houston State University.
The purpose of these awards is to honor alumni educators who have made a significant contribution to the field of education.
Rodriguez, who was nominated by her former colleagues at Helms ES, now teaches the first grade at Gross ES. She was formally recognized on March 2 by the Sam Houston State University College of Education, in cooperation with the SHSU Alumni Association.
To see a list of previous honorees, please visit the SHSU website.
Congratulations also go out to:
- HISD’s Budgeting and Finance Department, which received the Association of School Business Officials International’s Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting Award again last week. The district has won this award every year for the past quarter of a century. For details, please read this related article.
| If you know someone who should be featured in Accolades, please email us at info@houstonisd.org and tell us why. |
HISD welcomed three new leaders to its administrative team recently: Senior Manager of Multimedia Services Dave Einsel, Chief Special Projects Officer Andrew Houlihan, and Assistant Superintendent for High School Completion Jaime Castañeda.
Dave Einsel is replacing Leila Walsh, who has accepted a position with the Laura and John Arnold Foundation. He is an award-winning photographer with 30 years of experience producing photo and video projects. As director of photography for the Houston Chronicle from 1996-2004, Dave supervised a team of 24 photographers and technicians, and coordinated visual coverage of special events such as the Super Bowl, Olympics, and national political conventions. For the past 8-9 years, Dave has worked as a freelancer for advertising, corporate, and editorial clients. His work has appeared in National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek, USA Today, and newspapers and websites worldwide.
As the Senior Manager of Multimedia Services, Einsel will oversee the HISD TV team, which is responsible for producing videos, covering Board meetings and other key events, operating and programming the HISD cable channel, and providing audiovisual and technical support to Hattie Mae White and schools; and the web services team, which manages the district website and works collaboratively with IT on the district’s transition to Schoolwires.
Dr. Andrew Houlihan is filling a position similar to the one previously held by Dr. Julie Baker. He has served as the School Support Officer for the Apollo 20 Elementary Schools, principal of Parker Elementary School, assistant director of the Leadership Development Center in the Austin Independent School District, and director of the Education Leadership Institute at the International Center for Leadership in Education.
As the Chief Special Projects Officer, Dr. Houlihan will oversee new and innovative schools and programs in the district until they are fully implemented and able to sustain themselves independently. Such schools and programs will include: The Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School, The Boys’ and Girls’ Schools, and other potential new magnet schools.
Jaime Castañeda comes to us from his alma mater, Davis High School, where he served as principal for years. He led the campus to TEA Recognized status in the 2008-2009 school year and dramatically increased its graduation rate by implementing an “it takes a village” model to recover and graduate dropouts. His efforts led Davis to have one of the lowest dropout rates among comprehensive high schools in HISD. Castañeda has served on several local and national educational panels including Gear Up, Children at Risk, Parents in Public Schools, and Action Center.
As the Assistant Superintendent for High School Completion, Castañeda will oversee a variety of programs such as the Grad Labs, Twilight High Schools, High School Ahead, etc.
The Open Transfer Period for teachers will take place from March 25–April 19, 2013.
During this period, teachers will be permitted to transfer between HISD campuses to fill open positions for the 2012–2013 school year. A teacher’s current principal will be required to sign off on the transfer as an acknowledgement that the employee is leaving the campus.
For complete details, see this related memo.
When Lori Hays first started teaching kindergarten at Southmayd Elementary School back in 1983, she didn’t plan to be in the classroom for long.
“My plan was to teach for about five years and then get married and have a family,” she said. “But as you probably know, life has a way of not going the way you think it will.
Hays, who marked her 30th anniversary with the district last Sunday, described it as “pretty amazing” to realize she had been here for three decades. Even so, the veteran educator says she can’t imagine being anywhere else.
“I’ve been here my whole career,” she said. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Hays, who has been at Patterson ES for two years now, has also served at Sánchez and Brock elementary schools, as well as the King Early Childhood Center. She graduated from Sam Houston State University with a degree in elementary education.
Many other HISD employees are also marking milestones this week—see if you know anyone on this list:
30 years
- Delories Jolly, senior executive secretary, Legal Services
25 years
- Sheila Edwards, teacher, Mading ES
- Bertha Franco, teacher, Crockett ES
- Laura Leroy, teacher, Braeburn ES
- Erica Mathis, clerk, Construction & Facility Services
- Deborah Miranda, dispatcher, Police Department
- Johnathan-Perry O’Brien, teacher, Franklin ES
- Rita Peralta, clerk, T. H. Rogers MS
- Juan Ramirez, plant operator, The Rusk School
- Carolyn Salazar, secretary, Memorial ES
20 years
- Eddie Paul, custodian, Jones HS
- Sylvia Romo, Special Education employment representative, Westside HS
- Maria Salazar, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Harriet Smith, teacher, Reynolds ES
- Cecilia Wofford, clerk, Almeda ES
15 years
- Estela Barrientos, custodian, Cunningham ES
- Martha Compean, teacher, Love ES
- Sylvia Garcia, teacher, Love ES
- Luis Gomez, teacher, White ES
- Patricia Guillen, aide, Bush ES
- Martha Guzman, secretary, Bonner ES
- Robert Lee, teacher, Davis HS
- Alicia McAfee, instructional coordinator, Reagan HS
- Ruth Ruiz, assistant principal, Ortíz MS
- Anthony Thomas, teacher, Furr HS
- Tamara Yeldell, evaluation specialist, Child Study
10 years
- Betty Bradley, associate teacher
- Debra Eisenberg, associate teacher
- Joe Gainous, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Leisa Glenn, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Mary Malone-Garza, Special Education chair, Waltrip HS
- Dilbert Prothow, crossing guards
- Stephen Wilborn, teacher, Kelso ES
5 years
- Corey Buck, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Shanti Causey, quality control representative, Food Services
- John Coulter II, teacher, Sharpstown Intl. HS
- Jessica Macias Delatorre Bocanegra, clerk, Food Services
- Brittany Dugas, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Shemetria Duncan, generalist, High School Ahead Academy
- Karla Gomez, associate teacher
- Anna Hyde, teacher, Wilson Montessori
- Ronnie Joseph, teacher, Whidby ES
- Fidelia Lopez, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
- Sandra Luis, secretary, Barrick ES
- Dulce Mancillas, teacher, Burbank MS
- Gloria Montes, custodian, Scarborough HS
- Janell Nash, teaching assistant, Roberts ES
- Sandra Ortiz, teacher, Garden Villas ES
- Winford Pugh, associate teacher
- Joy Ugboajah, teacher, Hartman MS
- Albert Wright, associate teacher
- Cheryl Young, teaching assistant, Young ES
| Check back next Friday for more Milestones – and if you know someone who should be featured in this space, let us know at info@houstonisd.org. Leave a comment below if you’d like to congratulate any of the above employees. |
